Toonami

Not to be confused with Zoonami or Toon Army.

Toonami
Network
Launched
  • March 17, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-03-17) (Cartoon Network)
  • May 26, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-05-26) (Adult Swim)
ClosedSeptember 20, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-09-20) (Cartoon Network)
Country of originUnited States
OwnerThe Cartoon Network, Inc.
(Warner Bros. Discovery)
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia
FormatAnime and action animation
Running time
  • 3.5 hours (flagship block)
  • 2 hours (Toonami Rewind)
Voices of
Official websitewww.adultswim.com/videos/toonami

Toonami (/tuːˈnɑːmi/ too-NAH-mee) is an American late-night television programming block that broadcasts Japanese anime and American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a division of Warner Bros. Television Studios, and owned by The Cartoon Network, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The name is a portmanteau of the words "cartoon" and "tsunami".[1] It currently broadcasts every Saturday night from 12 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. ET/PT.[a]

Toonami initially ran as a weekday afternoon block on Cartoon Network from 1997 until 2004, when it transitioned into a Saturday evening format until its final airing four years later. Cartoon Network's block was primarily aimed at older children and adolescents aged 7–18.[2] In its original run from 1997 to 2008, the block was known for showcasing action-oriented animation, with heavy focus on Japanese animation, which became widely popular with American audiences. Toonami is recognized for its distinctive space-themed backdrop, anime music videos, drum and bass-flavored soundtrack, and its robot host named T.O.M. (short for Toonami Operations Module).[3]

On May 26, 2012, Toonami was relaunched as a late night block on Adult Swim. The current incarnation is a rebrand of Adult Swim's Saturday night action block (itself inherited from Toonami's Midnight Run block), which primarily aired anime that were deemed too mature for the daytime hours.[4] A Friday afternoon block consisting of classic anime, Toonami Rewind, launched on May 31, 2024; it airs from 5 to 7 p.m. ET/PT and complements the now-Monday-through-Thursday Checkered Past block of older Cartoon Network series.[5]

  1. ^ Fretts, Bruce (January 19, 2005). "Tsunami's Wake Pulls Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Sanderson, Peter (June 18, 2012). "Cartoon Network/Kids' WB Upfront Report: Part 2". IGN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Francisco, Eric (March 20, 2022). "25 years later, Toonami reveals the biggest problem with streaming services". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Toonami Schedule: 1999". Swimpedia. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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